The present invention relates to a process for producing cyclodextrin from raw starch by using an attrition milling bioreactor.
A doughnut-shaped cyclodextrin is a ring-formed nonreductive oligosaccharide in which individual glucose units are linked by .alpha.-1, 4-glucoside bonds, and there are .alpha., .beta. and .gamma.-cyclodextrin consisting of which the number of dextrose molecules are 6,7 and 8, respectively. The sizes and forms of inner cavity of a ring-shaped cyclodextrin are determined by way of the number of dextrose molecule, the inner cavity easily forming an inclusion complex with organic material due to the hydrophobic property. On account of such properties, cyclodextrin has been widely used in fields such as foods, medicines, cosmetics, etc. for stabilizing unstable material, nonvolatilizing volatile material such as aromatics, spices etc, dissolving insoluble material, powdering adhesive material, masking unpleasant odors, promoting emulsification and improving texture, etc.
It is known in the art that cyclodextrin can be industrially prepared by treating starch with cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase after first pretreating the potato starch or corn starch, etc. which is employed as a substrate. In this case the pretreatment requires liquefaction of raw starch by applying heat or adding amylase, which increases the consumption of energy as well as the viscosity of the starch solution and requires multiple unit processes. Thus, the production of cyclodextrin is expensive.